MLB Player News

Pagan earned a hold against Arizona on Sunday by pitching a perfect inning during which he struck out two.

The right-hander followed Blake Snell's impressive start with a dominant inning of his own, mowing down the first two batters he faced and retiring the side in order on only 12 pitches. Pagan has held opponents scoreless in each of his past eight outings, posting a 6:1 K:BB across 7.1 innings during that span.

Naughton pitched one inning against the Dodgers on Sunday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk.

The left-handed hurler entered in the sixth inning with the Dodgers holding a 5-1 lead. Naughton yielded a single to the first batter he faced, then retired two straight hitters before giving up a run-scoring single to AJ Pollock. Naughton worked primarily as a starter throughout his time in the minors, and he wasn't particularly impressive with a 5.23 ERA and 1.58 WHIP across 51.2 innings at Triple-A this season prior to his recent call-up.

Romano picked up his 10th save of the season in Sunday's 9-8 win over the Red Sox, fanning two in a scoreless ninth inning.

Romano needed 17 pitches to get the job done, with 12 of his offerings finding the strike zone. The right-hander looks to be manager Charlie Montoyo's preferred option for saves at the moment, even after Toronto acquired a proven closer at the deadline in Brad Hand.

Stephan has allowed nine runs in his last 11.1 innings.

In that span, which covers eight appearances, Stephan has only kept opponents off the board three times. He's also yielded four home runs. The rookie right-hander has a 4.70 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 44:20 K:BB across 38.1 innings. With an FIP of 6.06, it's safe to say Stephan has gotten a little lucky this season, which doesn't bode well for his chances of pitching himself into a high-leverage role in the last two months of the season.

Karinchak struck out one in a perfect eighth inning to earn a hold in Sunday's 7-5 win over Detroit.

After a nightmarish July saw him allow nine runs in 11 innings, Karinchak has strung together three straight scoreless innings to begin August. The 25-year-old's slump last month did some damage to his ratios, which now sit at a 3.51 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 74:28 K:BB in 48.2 innings overall. He's added 11 saves and 10 holds in a high-leverage role, but it appears Emmanuel Clase, who pitched a scoreless inning to earn the save Sunday, has a slight edge for save chances under acting manager DeMarlo Hale.

Shaw (5-5) allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the win Sunday versus Detroit.

The right-hander worked the seventh inning, and he was the beneficiary of Cleveland pulling ahead on a two-run blast by Bradley Zimmer in the home half of the inning. Shaw has allowed just one hit, one walk and a hit batter in his last four innings, adding a pair of wins in that span. He's posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 57:30 K:BB through 50.2 innings, while his two saves and 14 holds show that he's trusted in high-leverage situations.

Clase allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 7-5 win over Detroit.

The right-hander had no trouble protecting a two-run lead to earn his fifth save in his last six appearances. Clase's scoreless streak is up to 9.1 innings, and he's allowed just four hits while striking out nine in that span. He's up to 16 saves, a 1.75 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 50:14 K:BB across 46.1 innings. Cleveland has often used one of Clase or James Karinchak -- who logged a perfect eighth inning for a hold Sunday -- in the closer role this season.

Knehr is expected to be available in relief behind opening pitcher Craig Stammen in a bullpen game Tuesday against the Marlins, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

When the Padres last required a fifth starter Aug. 1 following Chris Paddack's (oblique) move to the injured list, Knehr stepped in to toss three scoreless frames in a no-decision. The Padres were able to get by with a shortened rotation for the rest of the week, so Knehr was available out of the bullpen for the team's recent series in Colorado and pitched two innings in relief Friday. Paddack's turn in the rotation comes up again Tuesday, but because Knehr will only be on three days' rest for that game, the Padres will instead turn to a number of pitchers to cover innings once Stammen departs. Knehr should still be fresh enough to give San Diego two or three innings, if needed.

Merryweather (oblique) said Monday that he's completed multiple bullpen sessions and is close to facing live hitters in batting practice, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Initially placed on the injured list April 14 with a left oblique strain, Merryweather has experienced multiple setbacks in his recovery that have pushed back his potential return date far longer than the Blue Jays anticipated. Though he had been part of the Blue Jays' closer mix prior to getting hurt, Merryweather's lengthy stint on the IL means that he may have to prove himself in a lower-leverage role upon returning before being trusted in bigger spots. Until Toronto figures out where Merryweather fits into their bullpen, he'll first have to steer clear of any further setbacks while facing hitters and eventually heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. He doesn't appear likely to be activated until late August or September.

Barnes (6-4) allowed two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out one to take the loss Sunday against the Blue Jays.

For the second time in the series against the Blue Jays, Barnes was on the mound for a gut-punch loss. He served up a walkoff home run to Marcus Semien in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, then ex-UConn teammate George Springer took him deep for a three-run shot in the eighth inning Sunday to wipe out all the good work Boston's offense did in a 9-8 loss. The Red Sox are coming apart at the seams right now, who lost of eight of 10 on a road trip, including six of seven to division rivals Toronto and Tampa Bay.